No use of force in more than 99 per cent of calls for service

Last year Lethbridge Police responded to nearly 32,000 calls for service and 99.4 per cent were resolved without any use of force

The 2024 use of force data was presented to the Lethbridge Police Commission during its public meeting Wednesday afternoon. 

A use of force report must be completed when any force other than cooperative handcuffing or escort techniques are used, there’s an injury requiring medical intervention, a firearm or less lethal weapon is displayed, unintentional discharges or any incident requiring notification under the Police Act. The written reports are then reviewed through the chain of command to evaluate current training, identify issues or trends that could be remediated with training and provide oversight to ensure the officer’s actions were reasonable and aligned with LPS policies and provincial guidelines. 

“Our voice is our greatest tool,” said Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh. “The majority of what we do is talk to people and the ability to communicate and de-escalate situations is really what prevents harm and saves lives.”

While not all calls can be resolved with just a conversation, high risk incidents or other circumstances where a use of force may be the only option for the safety of the victim, the officers or the subject, are still the exception. LPS data between 2020 and 2024, shows that every year police have resolved more than 99 percent of all calls for service without any force. 

All LPS officers receive comprehensive training in verbal communication, de-escalation and disengagement techniques, incident assessment and threat identification as well as use of force techniques, control tactics and defense strategies. In addition, scenario-based training is used to simulate real-life situations. 

When officers respond to a call they’re trained to assess the situation and subjects involved, re-assess as the matter evolves and, in most cases, the use of de-escalation and disengagement techniques to help gain the benefit of time and options enables a resolution that does not involve any use of force or result in injuries. 

The 0.6 per cent of cases where force was used involved a total 248 subjects. There were no fatalities, no hospitalizations and the vast majority of subjects – 195 – did not sustain any visible injuries. The remaining 53 subjects sustained minor injuries, with just over half requiring treatment on scene or at hospital before being released. In 2024, there were 21 officers who were injured – almost double from the 12 officers injured in 2023. 

No firearms were discharged in 2024. The most common use of less-lethal force options involved the deployment of Conducted Energy Weapons and police service dogs. 

In 2024, 80 per cent of the cases where force was used involved subjects who were perceived as being agitated, intoxicated, suffering from mental health issues or in a state of crisis. 17 per cent had access to weapons or weapons were reported, and only three per cent were perceived to be in a ‘normal’ mental state.

All officers receive ongoing training to help them respond effectively to calls involving individuals with mental health concerns. LPS also has two Police and Crisis Teams (PACT), that pair an officer and a mental health therapist to better serve high-risk individuals and those with chronic issues. 

In addition, the Service uses the HealthIM digital platform that provides officers with a pre-response safety briefing and helps support their assessment on whether a person should be transported to a designated facility for evaluation.